The Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution,
the Early Republic and Age of Jackson

2nd Nine Weeks Newsletter

8th Grade U.S. HISTORY

We Got Issues

October 16, 2023

Government Issues, That Is.

What are we doing this 2nd 9 Weeks?! 

Well, if you can recall the 1st 9 weeks we stepped back in time to experience how European settlers lived and ate in the 1600s.

We ate potted meat, sweet pickles and animal crackers to simulate their diets! We learned about the 13 colonies, geography, self-government, religions (Catholic, Puritans, Quakers) and regions like the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Colonies. 

We discovered landforms such as the Appalachian Mountains, key people in the American Revolution like General George Washington and British General Charles Cornwallis. Lastly, we learned about the Articles of Confederation and the meeting of delegates at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. 

This 2nd nine weeks we will dig into the:

• U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; important documents that give us freedom of speech, press, religion, the right to assemble, and to petition

• We will have debates where you will state your position on different topics chosen by YOU and ME!

• We will research topics to form a strong argument

• We will be exposed to different vocabulary through reading, cultural experiences, and exploration.

• We will have discussions about court cases in the U.S.

• We will actively take turns participating in discussions about shared interests, current and upcoming events, or desires and plans for the future

• We will have Mini-Mock Trials to learn about trial procedures and to understand the Bill of Rights and the federal court system
  
  

• For example: we will begin to understand the people in the courtroom: 

• the judge, a court reporter (in superior court), a clerk, and a bailiff; attorneys, the plaintiff, the defendant, witnesses, and jurors.

• We will learn the importance of rules in ensuring a fair trial, and the importance of witnesses and jurors in determining the facts of a case. 

• We will have scavenger hunts around how America works and other interesting topics.
  
  

• We will listen to podcasts and discover the problems George Washington and the other founders encountered while creating the United States in the 1700s. 

• Lastly,  we will listen to songs and watch movie clips to analyze historic themes and to further our history knowledge.